The invention relates to a method for applying a removable printing to a container.
Applying a printing to a container, for example a bottle crate, is generally known. The printing can be applied to the container by flexographic printing or screen printing techniques. However, such a printing is of a permanent character and cannot be removed from the container, or can be removed only by very special measures.
In practice, there is a need for applying a different printing to a certain type of container (for example, if a different product is to be packed therein, or in the case of advertising promotions). For this purpose, the printing on the container must be relatively easy to remove from it without the container being damaged. On the other hand, the printing must be durable and of good optical quality, in order to ensure that a container can be used for a specific brand of product for quite a long period of time.
Labels which can be affixed to containers and removed from them again are known. Such labels contain a paper, aluminium or plastic film which is provided with a special layer of bonding agent. However, a container provided with such a label does not have a perfect appearance. Moreover, the thickness of such labels invites undesirable removal. During the industrial removal of labels from a large number of containers a relatively large quantity of material comes off and requires further processing.
The object of the invention is to provide a method which makes it possible to apply an optically pleasing printing to a container, which printing is difficult for the user to remove from the container, but is easy to remove from the container industrially, the container being clean again after the printing has been removed, so that a new printing can be applied.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a method for applying a removable printing to a container, in which a layer of ink, which forms the printing and is provided on one side with a bonding agent for bonding the layer of ink to the container, is transferred to the container from a carrier film to which the layer of ink has been applied at the side not provided with bonding agent, the bonding agent having such properties that in normal conditions of use of the container the layer of ink adheres firmly to the container and in predetermined conditions which differ from the conditions of use the bonding agent and the layer of ink are easy to remove from the container.
Use of the method according to the invention produces a container with a high-quality printing which is relatively easy to replace by another printing.
The invention also relates to a plastic container provided with a removable printing comprising a layer of ink which forms the printing, which layer of ink is applied to the container by means of a bonding agent, the bonding agent having such properties that in normal conditions of use of the container the printing adheres firmly to the container and in predetermined conditions which differ from the conditions of use the bonding agent and the layer of ink are easy to remove from the container.
The invention also relates to a film to which a layer of ink which forms the printing is applied to one side, which-layer of ink on the side facing away from the film is provided with a bonding agent for bonding the layer of ink to a substrate.
Preferred embodiments of the method, the plastic container and the film according to the invention are defined in the subclaims.